Moment's weakness
by Darkfirelight
Summary: A moment's weakness can lead to so many things changing... Based after 8X16 and then into Season 9. Chlark.
1. A moment's weakness

Disclaimer: I do not own Smallville.  
Summary: A moment's weakness can lead to so many things changing... Based after 8X16 and then into Season 9. AU.  
Pairing(s): Chlark, mentions of past Chimmy, mentions of Clois. Further undecided.

* * *

_  
Tears ran down her face in rivulets as she wept against his blue-clad chest, sobbing heavily as he held her in his muscled arms. "I just don't understand... WHY!?" She cried, holding on as though she were afraid to let go.  
_  
_"I don't know, Chloe. Maybe it's the painkillers." Clark comforted, holding her just a little bit tighter, wincing as though struck when his words just made her cry harder.  
_  
_She pulled back, wiping away at her cheeks and shaking her head as though trying to dislodge the intense emotions she was feeling. "I'm sorry Clark, you came over here to talk about Tess, and I'm..." She hiccuped as she weakly struggled out of his arms.  
_  
_Clark smiled lightly down at her, holding her tighter. "It's fine, that can wait. Do you want me to talk to Jimmy?"  
_  
_She shook her head again, staring up at him through her damp, limp hair, eyes glimmering in the lighting. "No, he- He told me not to ca-call, or write, or, Orrrr..." She cut off into angst-filled cries, burying her head back into his chest.  
_  
_Clark glared at the wall above the blonde's head, anger filling him at the thought that the geeky photographer had done this to his best friend.  
_  
_"I- I don't know what I did wrong! He just said that I didn't trust him, that I trusted Davis and you, but not him." She lamented, words slightly muffled by his shirt. "There's always something."  
_  
_Clark looked away, the truth of her words hitting him hard. "It's my fault, he just doesn't know why..."  
_  
_"Clark," The ex-reporter cut across his self-flagellation, blonde hair brushing his chin as she shook her head at his words. "Stop it, it's not your fault, and it's nothing to do with your secret. It's just... He just doesn't trust ME!" She growled.  
_  
_He flinched as the tiny blonde rubbed against him, grasping his shirt as though imagining it were Jimmy's neck.  
_  
_"Chloe." He murmured, feeling her brush against his lap in a decidedly non-innocent way. "Chloe!" He grunted.  
_  
_She froze.  
_  
_For a brief moment Clark was left with 5'4 of petite woman kneeling in his lap in a way that was a bit too comfortable; A fact that he was well aware of.  
_  
_"Clark?" His name, whispered as though afraid he was going to vanish, echoed as though bouncing through the otherwise empty farmhouse.  
_  
_"Chloe." For a moment everything was silent, as though the very world around them had frozen.  
_  
_He felt something sliding against him, and looking down noticed Chloe was shucking her red coat, letting it slide down her form and pool on the seat next to them. "Chloe...?" Chlo-Mmph."  
_  
_Whatever he was about to say was cut off by her mouth meeting his, frenzied and struggling against him.  
_  
_He pushed back, eyes glazed in lust and yet desperate to make sure they didn't do something they would later regret. "Chloe, we can't do this, think about what it would do to Jimmy."  
_  
_She gazed into his eyes, Bright green meeting deep blue. "I'm not doing this to Jimmy, Clark." She leaned forward, reclaiming his lips.  
_  
_He tried to think otherwise, about how this would hurt Jimmy, how Chloe would regret this later, about Lois, about anything other than her beautiful, pale pink lips against his...  
_  
That was three months ago.

And right now Chloe was looking down at the white plastic in her hand and regretting her moment of weakness.

_Her hands roamed across his chest, coming to rest on his flexing shoulders as he shrugged his shirt off, trying to push his arms through before finally getting impatient and tearing through it with little effort.  
_  
_She moaned at the display, pushing herself against him with increasing vigour. "Clark!" She gasped, rubbing against his jeans.  
_  
_He shuddered as she trailed down his chest with trembling fingers, breathing heavily. "Chloe!"  
_  
_Her fingers met their prize, pulling at the zip of his jeans, fumbling with the material. Chloe pulled at the tight fit jeans, pulling them down to his knees and letting him kick them off.  
_  
_She knelt there, inches away from the massive bulge throbbing in his boxers, gulping. "Wow."  
_  
God, what was she going to tell Clark?

Hell, what was she going to tell Lois?

_She whimpered as she felt thick fingers trailing down her stomach, sliding over her hips and coming to a rest against the V of her thighs, rubbing her snatch. "Oh, Clark!"  
_  
_He growled against her shoulder as he thrust against her hand.  
_  
It felt even worse that this was the only reason that she regretted it.


	2. The doctor is in

**Chapter Two**

* * *

Chloe hovered over Clark's unresponsive form, his hand clenched in her own. She tried to hold in her fear at the sight of him lying there, covered in sweat and obviously in pain. "Hold on, Clark." She comforted, green eyes bright with worry over her friend. "Just a little more."

Emil pulled the needle out of his bicep, quickly wiping the remaining green fluid from the point and Clark's bicep and shutting the laptop displaying what was currently going on outside. "We're almost ready, Chloe. Just a little more."

The blonde glanced up at the sight of another needle, the tip dripping with green K. "Stop it, he can't take anymore!" She cried, clenching his hand tighter.

"We don't have a choice." Emil spoke between gritted teeth, focusing on injecting the metal into the Kryptonian's arm.

Chloe was brought away from her objections by another anguished moan from Clark's mouth, his veins protruding unsightly through his skin. "Hold on, Clark." She repeated herself, unable to think of anything else to say. "Just one more. You can do it."

The office fell silent for a moment, the only sound that of the heart monitor and Clark's groans of distress.

"I've got it." Emil finally spoke, pulling the blood-filled needle away from Clark and immediately shutting it away in a briefcase. "Chloe, we need to go."

"No!" She yelled, looking up at him in disbelief before quickly bringing her attention back to Clark. "I can't leave him!"

Emil picked up the case and ensured Clark's health as best he could. "Chloe, we don't have time." He cautioned her, monitoring the black-haired young man's heart rate. "We have to go now."

She turned distraught eyes between the two, as though unable to decide where to go. After a brief moment she finally came to a decision. "I'm sorry, Clark." She hesitated for a second before leaning down and kissing him on the forehead. "I'll come back as soon as possible." She consoled him, smiling slightly as his breathing evened out.

"Come on, Chloe. We'll make sure he's alright later." Emil put a hand on her shoulder, a silent reassurance.

The two headed out of Watchtower as fast as their legs could carry them.

* * *

"So," Emil started as he stepped off the plane, turning slightly to regard Chloe. "How long have you had feelings fort Clark?" He queried.

She jolted, turning to meet his stare. "What are you talking about?" She tried to keep her tone even, not willing to give up the charade that easily. "Clark and I... We go way back, we're just friends."

"That's not what I asked." Emil calmly noted her deflection, raising an eyebrow.

She continued walking, trying to evade his questioning.

"Is he the father?" She stilled, eyes wide.

"...How did you find out?" She surrendered, swallowing.

"Please, Chloe. I'm a doctor. It wasn't that hard." Emil patronized, shaking his head. "And I notice you didn't say no."

At that moment she realized that no matter what she said, no matter the words that came out of her mouth, the fact of the matter was that he _knew._ "Don't tell him." She begged, turning once more to meet his narrowed gaze.

"Chloe, you can't ask me that." He spoke, incredulous.

She pursed her lips. "Doctor patient confidentiality." She eyed him nervously.

"You're not a patient." He reminded, voice steady in disapproval.

"Oliver hired you, we both work for Oliver, if there's an emergency you work for the members of the league, I'm a member. Therefore I'm a patient." She countered.

The doctor frowned, closing his eyes as though trying to contain what he really wanted to say. "Fine, Chloe. I won't tell him, but you _will _have to tell him at some point, some time soon you won't exactly be able to hide it."

She looked away, ashamed yet knowing at the same time he was right. "I know." She whispered. "But... This is going to kill Lois."

Emil shook his head. "It takes two to tango, Clark is every bit as responsible, if not more."

Chloe inclined her head in begrudging agreement. "I... I guess."

The two came up to the BMW that they had "borrowed" from Oliver in order to make their 'Blood run'. "For now we need to find Clark and make sure he's recovered, or at least getting better." He smiled soothingly, holding open the door for her.

"Right." She nodded firmly, getting into the car.


	3. Reading minds

**Chapter Three**

* * *

Despite the conversation with Emil Chloe just couldn't bring herself to tell Clark the truth; part of her was terrified of hanging around and waiting for him to realize that she was pregnant, while the other was even more terrified and wondering if perhaps she could get Oliver to schedule a place far away from Metropolis for her to stay.

It was the moments where she met him face-to-face that really frightened her. How could you hide something like this from a man with X-Ray vision and Super-hearing?

Like now, for instance; she was being asked to meet him to discuss something urgent. "What is it Clark, what's wrong?" She asked concernedly.

_"I don't know, I just,"_ He sounded flustered down the phone, as though he were struggling to comprehend._ "I can read_ _**minds**."_He stressed.

From anyone else she might have laughed at the obvious joke, but as is the words terrified her the most any could at this specific moment. "Haha, Clark, now what's the problem, seriously?"

_"Chloe, I **AM **being serious. This morning I started hearing Lois' thoughts, and now..."_ Oh god. _"I__ don't know what to do!"  
_  
"Alright, Clark. Calm DOWN! We'll figure this out." She tried to reassure him down the phone. "When did it start?"

_"After the bank robbery. It just... Started."  
_  
"First things first, was there any Kryptonite around there, maybe in the bomb?" She queried, trying to think of what could have caused this spontaneous telepathy.

_"No, I didn't feel anything, and it started a minute after the bomb exploded. Chloe, I don't know what's- I'm," _He stuttered down the phone, as though hyperventilating.

"Okay, okay. Cool it, Clark!" She sighed, rubbing her face.

_Look, Chloe, meet me-" _"I can't!" She panicked, eyes wide as a hundred thoughts a minute ran through her head. "I'm _REALLY_busy!"

_"Chloe, I'm reading minds!" _He yelled down the phone, unable to believe that she was just shrugging this off. _"Meet me-"  
_  
"NO!" She cut across once more. "Find Oliver, or go to Washington, talk to your mom!" She listed.

_"Oliver is missing!" _He shouted. She briefly hoped that he was at least out of immediate line of sight and hearing of anyone else._"And I can't just SHOW UP in Washington, my mom would kill me!"  
_  
"Clark-" _"Look," _This time it was his turn to cut across her. _"I don't have a lot of time, I'm coming over there!"  
_  
"No, Clark-" *CLICK* She stared at the phone in her hand, gulping as she stood in the silent interior of Watchtower. "Damn it!"

"Chloe!" She jolted and turned, looking down to the floor below in all his suit-clad glory. "Chloe, listen!"

She grit her teeth as she stared down at him. _'I'm going to KILL him.'  
_  
"What am I thinking?" She asked calmly, swallowing her irritation at him.

"I don't know," She raised an eyebrow. "So far it's only been Lois." He explained, and she felt an almost overwhelming sense of relief. _'Jesus.'  
_  
"Okay," She started, irritation now gone. For a moment she pondered on what it meant that it was only Lois, maybe... "How do we know this isn't just your super-hearing on the fritz. I mean," She started, seeing his look of annoyance. "You don't just catch ESP."

He smiled slightly, apparently catching onto what she was thinking. Hopefully. "As loud as Lois is, even she can't speak with her mouth closed."

She considered his words. "Good point." She finally relented at his pleading look. "Alright, I'll see what I can dig up, but seriously Clark, unless your warranties expired why don't you just see Jor-El, your dear old dad?" _'And get away from me while I can't stop thinking about the baby. God I hope it's just one.'  
_  
"Gah." He murmured, holding his head as though in pain.

She looked at him in trepidation. "Are you okay?"

"I'm... Fine." He looked as though he had just heard something troubling. She tensed in apprehension. "I'd just like to bypass Lois' inside voice from here on out." She relaxed. "I'm fine."

"Okay, well I'll get on that right now, but you should head back to work." She hoped he'd take the hint and go.

"I still have another half hour-" "Then go make sure Lois is okay!" She grimaced.

He paused and then slowly nodded. "O-kay. Just make sure that, you know..."

"I'll keep you posted." She promised, affixing an obviously fake smile to her face.

"Alright, well I'll see you."

* * *

It wasn't until later that Chloe realized just how Clark had decided to use his 'new power'.

"We've been on the same wavelength all day today."

Chloe stared at Lois blankly, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "I'll bet." She intoned dryly. "Sort of like he's been reading your mind? Like he's hearing things that you've never actually said out loud?"

Lois grinned at her, eyes bright. "Exactly."

Chloe sighed. "Heh. That is the weirdest thing."

Lois looked up as though deep in thought. "Me and Clark." She shook her head. "I don't know, I mean; We kick all kinds of ass at work, but lately it feels like we're more than just partners, y'know?"

Chloe looked away sadly but quickly pasted a smile on her face. "Yeah."

"I think I've gotten so used to carrying the load all by myself, but... What if I don't have to anymore, y'know? Clark and Lois versus the world."

Lois spun, as though suddenly remembering that Chloe was there. "Oh wow. Kind of lost myself there, somewhere."

Chloe widened her smile.

"Don't wait up." Lois leaned over the table and gave her cousin a hug. "See ya!"

Chloe stared after Lois' retreating form with a disquieted expression. _'Clark... We need to have words.'_

* * *

_'God, I can't believe he'd just abuse his power like that. I'm having that scumbag's child, and seeing him like this has gotta be bad for the baby, or at least my estimation of him. It's a good thing he can't read what I'm thinking, or I'd tear off his...' _She trailed off as she saw Clark standing in the entrance to the bullpen, eyes wide.

"Clark, I just had to listen to Lois extol her fantasies of the two of you standing side-by-side "against the _world_", now I don't appreciate you taking advantage of the situation like this. My cousin is a person with _thoughts _and _feelings _and here you are, using them against her. What the hell do you have to say for yourself?" She ranted scathingly.

He stood there for a moment, staring at her in silence, before finally he spoke, rasping out a single sentence. "You're pregnant... With my child?"

Chloe froze, face stark white. "W-What?"


	4. Discoveries

**Chapter four**

* * *

"You're pregnant with my child." The words seemed to reverberate through the empty room as though it were an echo chamber.

Chloe gulped as she stared into his eyes, bright green meeting deep blue. "Wh-what?" She shook, her mind refusing to accept the words that she had heard. "What are you talking about?" She tried. _'How could he possibly know?'  
_  
"I don't just hear Lois anymore." He filled in with a blank face, as though still trying to comprehend what he had heard. "You're pregnant with my child." He repeated for a third time, the reality of the situation finally hitting home.

"Oh god." She stepped back, breathing heavily. "Oh god, you weren't supposed to know!"

"'_Weren't supposed to KNOW!?'"_ He quoted, stunned. "Chloe, you're PREGNANT. With my CHILD!"

"I know, damnit! Repeating that isn't going to change anything, Clark!" The blonde yelled, burying her head in her hands. "I'm sorry, alright!?"

"Sorry!?" Clark looked dazed, as though what she were saying was a foreign concept to him. "Chloe, you're having my _baby!_"

He now looked a little less shocked, and... Joy shone through. "I know, Clark. But you and Lois..."

"I love Lois." He admitted, looking away slightly. "But... I love you too."

"No, you don't. Clark, you've never loved me." She shook her head at him.

"Yes, I do." Clark sighed. "When I came back from the phantom zone and you introduced _Jimmy _it pretty much broke my heart, Chloe. Two years later the two of you are getting _married _and then with the whole_ Doomsday and Davis_ thing. I felt... betrayed when you ran off with Davis, and when Jimmy died and I went off the grid... I wasn't doing well. So when I came back and saw how upset you were, I just... Shut my feelings out, rejected my humanity and left."

"And Lois?" She questioned, confused.

"I saw another chance." He confessed, ashamed. "Before she left, Lois and I... It seemed like we might be going somewhere, so I came back. I hoped... Maybe I could keep my Superhero life and everyday life separate, and have a normal life on the side. I wanted Lois to be my crutch, to keep me human."

"Because you loved her." Chloe intoned with an expectant look.

"Because I thought I could love her." Clark corrected. "And maybe it could have gone somewhere, but you're having my child, Chloe."

"So you're just going to leave my cousin _because it's the right thing to do? _LIKE HELL! I don't _need _you, Clark. I'm fine on my own."

"But I don't want you to do it alone, Chlo. I never thought I could have a kid. I want to raise this baby together, _our _baby."

"You don't." She denied sadly. "You just want to have a son, or a daughter."

"You honestly believe that?" Clark asked her, shocked.

"Yes."

"You honestly think that I don't love you, in _any way_?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll just have to prove you wrong."


	5. Denial

**Chapter five:**

* * *

Chloe dropped her keys down onto the Watchtower main lobby table, staring up at the huge stained glass window in thought. If you had asked her where she would be in a years time when she was eighteen, she would have replied; "Working at the Daily Planet."

If you had asked her a year ago, she would have replied (if you were trustworthy); "Coordination and intelligence for Superheroes." (And how often did you hear _that _response?)

She would _not _have replied; "Pregnant with my former best friend's baby who's dating my cousin who used to be dating the guy who's funding made this massive main base possible while I try and get the league back together."

The world worked in strange, and cruel, ways; something she could personally attest to.

The blonde former-journalist sighed and moved to sit in front of the main monitor, turning the power on and logging in to her account to check her e-mails. "Junk, junk, junk... Emil." She murmured, clicking onto the scientist's message and reading over it.  
_  
'Chloe, in concern for your... Condition, I believe that perhaps we should set up some tests, to ensure both your welfare and the baby's health. - Emil'_

Chloe bit her lip, re-reading the short message with a quick glance. She hadn't even considered that the baby might not be of sound health. What if there were complications? What if her body couldn't handle the stress? What if... So many what if's.

She hastily typed back a reply, pursing her lips with new-found worry for her offspring. '_Emil, would be glad to take part, have yet to check on health of the baby. - Chloe'_

The blonde submitted the message and leaned back in her chair, licking her suddenly dry lips and blinking when she instantly received a reply.  
_  
'Chloe, glad you approve, I can check up on you on the twenty-fourth if that's a good time for you? - Emil'_  
_  
'Emil, thank you for your quick response time, I'm glad we could sort this out so quickly.' _Chloe frowned in thought and tacked on some extra text at the end of the message before sending it. _'By the way, have you seen Boy scout recently? - Chloe'_

She waited for a moment and was glad when his reply popped up shortly with a sharp chime, the standard sound she'd tacked on to alert her of important messages. _'Chloe, I have indeed seen Boy scout, he showed up yesterday and nearly ripped my head off when he realized that I knew about your condition. - Emil'  
_  
Chloe winced, realizing that with how sensitive he was about things like this Clark had probably gotten _very_ angry when he found out.  
_'Emil, Sorry about that. Have a nice day. - Chloe' _She finished, shutting off the main power and pondering. She'd need to prepare a nursery and supplies for the baby, after finding out it's gender, of course. First, though she'd need to make sure it was healthy and that there were no complications.

She was jolted out of her thoughts by the sharp ringing coming from her cell phone on the side. She stood up and walked around the table, picking it up and grimacing when she saw the caller I.D.

"Hi, Lois." She greeted with false cheer. "How are you?"  
_  
Ch-Chloooooeeeeeee!" _The younger cousin winced when she heard the strangled warble/sob that came through from the brunette. _"C-Clark, he just..."_

"Oh, Lois." She cooed when she realized what must have happened; That big dumb alien must have said something stupid to her, or maybe forgotten a date with her. She understood that he was probably helping people, but how could Lois understand that? She wasn't aware of his secret, after all.  
_  
"He, he dumped me. ME!" _The other woman yelled, jolting the blonde out of her thoughts. Ah. _"I mean, what the hell? I thought- I thought we had something special, that we were really- really... Connecting!" _She grasped for the right words, broken up over the situation.

"Maybe he's just... Trying to cope?" She tried, though inside the knew the true reason for his abrupt 180. 'Damnit Clark.'  
_  
"...What do you mean?" _Lois queried tentatively, as though pondering on what she was saying.

"Well, you disappeared for nearly three weeks, and all of a sudden you're back; and with the recent 'infection scare'... Well, maybe he's just scared to lose you again?" She asked more than said, biting her lower lip as she waited for the other's response.  
_  
"Maybe you're right!" _The older of the pair proclaimed, as though in enlightenment. _"He must be scared that he'll lose me again! Oh my god, how did I not see this? Smallville isn't exactly an automaton, he's sensitive." _She reasoned, reverting back to her habit of calling the former farmboy by his old nickname.

"Right." Chloe said slowly, choosing her words carefully. "You just need to talk to him. I'm sure he'll be reasonable."  
_  
"Thanks, cuz." _The brunette said, now with her custom confidence. _"It's nice talking to you."_

"You too, Lo'" She said amusedly, lips quirking wryly at the older girl's uniqueness. "I'll talk to you later, bye."  
_  
"See ya, cuz!"_ The blonde shook her head in amusement at the other woman's behaviour and typed in a new number.  
_  
"Chloe?" _The voice down the other end asked hesitantly. "Hi Clark." She greeted sweetly. "What's this I hear about you breaking up with Lois?"

Clark paused for a moment, awkward silence all that sounded down the phone. _"Well, I'm going to be a father, so..."_

"SO!" She yelled in frustration. "That doesn't mean you can't date Lois moron, she's broken up over this, you know. Thankfully I managed to cover for you, but you need to get your ass down to the DP and start begging you-"  
_  
"Chloe I'm not dating Lois anymore, I want to be there for you-" _"No Clark," The blonde cut across. "You want to be there for your child, and I get that; I really do. But you can still be with Lois, sure at first she'll be... upset, but eventually she'll calm down and understand." She reasoned with the brick-headed Kryptonian.  
_  
"Chloe, I don't want to date Lois, I want you."_

Her heart melted a little at his proclamation, but nonetheless she held strong in the face of his adversity and started again. "No, you don't. Remember the future? Lois went missing and you gave up on everything, Clark. You love her." The former reporter heaved in a breathe and continued. "And she loves you. Even the legion said so."  
_  
"Nothing's a fixed point, Chloe. The legion also didn't have any record of you, remember?" _She conceded his point there. _"Besides it's my life, not the legions; they don't get a say, and we're trying to change that future aren't we? Zod hasn't built those towers, the human race is free, there's still a chance for all that; so why not for us?"_

She whimpered slightly at his words, resolve crumbling like a stack of cards. "Clark, just... Talk to Lois." She pleaded.

There was another pause from the muscular hero, before; _"Alright, if that's what you want, then I'll talk to Lois."_

Chloe released the breathe she'd been unaware that she had been holding. "Thank you!"

She put down the cellphone, briefly stopping as she reviewed their conversation. "Oh, he didn't." She grimaced as she realized that her unborn baby's father had not said that he would get back together with her cousin. "Son of a *****!" She cursed, quickly picking her cellphone back up and trying to call him back. He didn't answer. "Son. Of. A. *****." The blonde repeated, glaring at the small rectangular plastic device as though it were to blame.


	6. Comforting the cousin

**Chapter six:**

* * *

Chloe paced back and forth in front of the main monitor of the Watchtower, silently seething as she pondered on her most recent predicament; that of Clark, and his situation in regards to Lois.

While part of her loved the thought that he was interested in her and his child and was reveling in his attention, the less selfish part of her was terrified that he was going to make a fatal mistake and ruin both his and Lois' budding romance.

While it was true that she still felt for him, something that would probably never change no matter how badly he may act, she also felt bad about the situation, and the hurt that her cousin was probably going to feel.

The blonde spun on her heel, slumping into the black leather embrace of her chair and sighing as she held her head in her hands, biting her lower lip in frustration. "God-damnit." She mumbled, trying to shake away the feeling of impending doom that seemed to slowly encroach upon her.

She wouldn't be surprised if any moment now the phone rung, the caller being a betrayed and angry Lois asking her; 'Why?' What the hell would she say? 'It was an accident?' 'I was distressed and in pain?'

Facing facts, no matter what she said, chances were that forgiveness would probably be a long time away. Chloe jolted as the cellphone rang, sharp shrill ringtone cutting through the air.

She hesitantly reached out with a shaky hand, grasping the small black rectangle and looking at the caller ID, heart leaping into her throat when she realized that it was the very person she had feared. She slowly clicked the answer button and raised it to her ear. "Hello?" She asked slowly, desperately pleading that it was a misdial, that it was an accidental call, anything but...

"Hey Chloe!" Said blonde furrowed her brows in confusion when she heard the faint tinge of excitement in the brunette's voice.

"Hi Lois." She greeted with faux-humour. "Any particular reason you're calling back so soon?" She asked jokingly, pursing her lips.

"Yeah, new job!" Chloe pulled the cellphone away from her face for a brief moment so that she could sigh in relief, mildly guilty at the sensation of happiness that filled her at Lois' lack of knowledge, but pushing the thought to the back of her mind. She was allowed to be selfish sometimes too. "...And they said that I could come in for an interview on Friday, isn't that great?" She flinched when she realized that the other woman was still talking while she had been thinking.

"Whoa, Lois. Slow down, mind repeating that?" She queried with a small smile.

"Right, well, I thought about what you said about Clark." The smile dropped slightly. "And realized that maybe you're right. Maybe I need to freshen things up and branch out a bit, ya know. So I said to myself; 'What's different, what's a nice change?' And then I realized; News reporting!"

Chloe blinked at her answer, feeling out of place for a brief moment. "What do you mean?"

"I've got an interview with a station on Friday; It's a morning show, so I'd have to get up early." The brunette sounded mildly disgruntled at the very thought, leading Chloe to quirk her lips slightly at her reaction. "But you're looki- Well, listening to, the newest news anchor for 'Good Morning Metropolis'!"

The former journalist grimaced, stunned at the older woman's casual behaviour regarding a sudden shift in careers; and mildly annoyed. She brushed the feeling off and turned her attention back to the other woman. "Are you sure that's a bright idea, have you talked to Clark about this?"

"Yeah, he's promised to help me audition! Maybe with this he can see that we're... Good together, ya know?" Chloe repressed the irritation that arose at the other's words and "Tsk'ed".

"Well... If you're sure." She finally acquiesced, accepting that maybe it wasn't her role to question her older cousin's choices in life. So long as she was happy, even if only for a little while longer... "Good luck." She spoke, hoping the other woman didn't hear the guilt layering her words like a thick coat of dark paint.

"Thanks, cuz. I'll keep you in the loop!" Lois said cheerfully, hanging up with that parting remark.

"...Right." Chloe said faintly, putting the cellphone down on the table once more and shaking off the surrealness of the situation. Though while she thought on choices in life, she was reminded of the situation regarding Oliver, and his steady downhill spiral. Like it or not, it seemed like it was up to her to fix things.

She turned to the massive computer monitor before her, flicking the screen on and accessing Queen industry's satellites, as well as the Luthorcorp servers and satellites; something that she had been keeping as a last resort.

"Now where are you, you green numb-nut?" She murmured, scouring the screen before her in search of answers. "...Gotcha."


	7. Oliver's twist

**Chapter seven:**

* * *

Chloe rolled her eyes as she walked to her car, absently replying to the person on the phone as she did so. "...Yes Lois, I'm sure you can pull off a red dress. It's not that difficult to get rid of those tangles, just keep brushing. I don't know if it makes you look fat, I can't see you. No, don't send me a picture, the guys look at me weirdly enough as is. Look, I'm about to get in my car, can we talk later, please?" She paused as Lois replied. "Yes, I'm getting in the car, and no you're not being clingy. If Clark wants to earn your forgiveness he'd better damn well work for it." She agreed with her older cousin. "I'll talk to you later Lois."

With that final comment she clicked 'off' on the phone, tucking it into her bag and getting into the car. She put the key in the ignition and thought over what she was going to say to Oliver. Despite her earlier conviction on fixing things she hadn't completely thought things through. Perhaps it was a sign of her 'condition' that she had even considered her path of action, much less gone through with it. She felt bad for deceiving Oliver into believing that he had lost everything, but even now she maintained that it was necessary; thankfully he had agreed

It took only a few minutes to arrive at the nearby cafe where she had arranged to meet with him and the blonde sighed as she saw that he was not at the arranged meeting point. Despite everything it seemed he still maintained his atrocious habit of arriving to everything at least a few minutes late. He'd told her in the past that it was a way to 'Gain control of a situation'; that arriving later than the other party showed confidence in your stance and a casual disregard of the other parties wishes, allowing you the high ground. Part of her was tempted to leave and come back in ten minutes to teach him a lesson, but another part told her that that was childish.

With a sigh she sat down at the table and settled down to wait for the emerald archer. She smiled at the waitress that arrived and ordered orange juice and a croissant with jam. The main thing that had hit her hard about her pregnancy was that she could no longer consume coffee like air, and though even she could admit that it was a little strange, she had to confess that it was doing wonders for her sleeping habits and she was losing weight; She'd taken to eating more to ensure that she didn't lose too much weight though, as she was worried that it could have a negative impact on the baby.

She started slightly as her drink and food were both placed in front of her, looking up and opening her mouth to thank the waitress and stopping when she realized that it wasn't her. "Oliver." She greeted with a nod, raising an eyebrow at the other blonde.

"Chloe." He returned with a smirk. "I was just waiting inside for you and I saw you through the window. Don't worry about paying, I've got it covered."

The blonde rolled her eyes at him, unable to help comparing him to her cousin; both cocky and thinking they were god's gift to women and men respectively. "Gee, thanks." She quipped dully, lifting her croissant with both hands and taking a messy bite, licking the jam that dribbled out from her lips and chuckling as she caught him following the path of the jam with his eyes. "What?" She asked at his look.

Oliver shrugged. "Nothing, I'm just surprised to see you eating at eleven in the morning, you're usually... A little more reserved about eating in public, and..." He looked surprised as he noticed that she had ordered orange juice. "You never pass up an opportunity for coffee. is something wrong?" He asked in faux surprise, a teasing glint in his eye.

"No, I'm fine. I did say I was sorry for earlier, right?" She said sheepishly, taking a sip of her juice.

"Three-ton truck, Chloe. Three. Ton. Truck." He said, pretending to be upset. "So anyway, why did you call me here?"

"I need your help." She said with a grimace, licking her lips as she thought of what to say. "It's about Clark and Lois."

Oliver immediately straightened up, gaining a serious attitude toward the situation. "Chloe, what is it?" He asked her, looking her in the eye. "Has something happened?"

"Well..." She bit her lip, looking away. "...Kind of. No, well... Um..." She struggled over what to say. "Can you keep a secret?"

He looked at her for a moment, as though considering what she had asked of him, and then; "Yeah, I can. What's happened?"

"Clark and Lois... Clark keeps saying he wants to break up with Lois."

"What?" Oliver hissed, gritting his teeth as he processed what she had said. "That- that son of a *****." He growled, not noticing her look around the nearby vicinity to make sure that nobody was looking at them. "I can't believe this, after all-!"

"Oliver!" She cut across him frantically, seeing that they were starting to draw attention. "Look, there's a perfectly good reason for it, alright? But it's not right, those two adore each other, if Clark does this then he'll regret it for the rest of his life. Will you help me?"

The billionaire looked conflicted for a moment, warring with himself over what he wanted to do in this situation. "Okay." He finally relented. "You don't realize what kind of position you're putting me in here, but okay. What do you need?"

"Lois and Clark are doing a morning show, in it they're apparently going to be dating separate people. I need you to make sure that they don't... Gain an interest in these dates, and try to keep them together."

"Are you worried about Clark cheating?" Oliver asked her with an odd look on his face, as though the concept of Clark Kent cheating were completely foreign to him. She wished that were the case.

"No, but something's going to leave Lois... Vulnerable. You need to keep her out of trouble and make sure that she isn't taken advantage of."

"Taken advantage of?" Oliver asked her, now with his own brow furrowed. "Chloe, are you worried that they'll break up? 'Cause I've gotta say, those two are like paper and glue. Once Lois got with him I think that was it, you don't need to worry about them breaking up." He said bitterly, hoping she didn't notice his personal feelings over the matter.

"Oliver, just... Just trust me on this, alright?" She spoke anxiously, looking back up into his eyes.

"...Alright." He sighed, already regretting it. "I'll help them stay together." He nearly spat out, as though the words were physically hurting him to say. "But only because I care about Lois."

"Thank you." Chloe smiled, swallowing down her guilt. "I knew I could trust you on this."


	8. Acceptance

**Chapter eight:**

* * *

Chloe absently tapped the wooden table in front of her, frowning as she nibbled on the lid attached to the end of her pen. Her eyes took in the page before her with all of her focus as she tried to work out the answers to the questions written on the paper. "...Rhymes with banana?" She mumbled confusedly, licking her lips. "The hell?"

"Chloe!" Said woman started slightly at the unexpected greeting and turned her head to regard the black-clad figure that had just stepped through the door.

The blonde put down the magazine and pen and turned her attention to the figure standing in the lobby of the Watchtower. "Hi Clark." She returned, raising an eyebrow at his frown. "Something wrong?" She queried.

The Kryptonian's frown deepened at her question and he marched toward her. "Why is Lois intent on getting together with me?"

The ex-reporter's other eyebrow rose of it's own volition to join it's twin and she regarded him with even more confusion than before. "Well, maybe she _likes _you, if you get my meaning?" She quipped sarcastically.

"She told me that 'I owed my second chance' to you, what have you been telling her?" He asked, giving her a look as though to berate her.

Chloe shrugged and set her feet on the floor from where they had been supported by the hard wood desk. "Just that you're a sensitive guy, which is true," She insisted at his look. "And that you love her. Which is true!" She cut across him as he opened his mouth to comment. "Clark, I'm glad that you want to be involved in your child's life, and I'm willing to support that one hundred percent; but you love Lois, and I don't want you regretting a poor decision in five-ten years time."

"I won't regret it." Clark stressed, clearly aggravated. "I want to see my child grow up, that's true, but I want it to be with you. I'm done arguing with you over this Chloe." This time it was his turn to cut across her as she opened her mouth. "Chloe, do you love me?"

The blonde paused and flinched. "...No."

Clark raised an eyebrow and smiled slightly as the blonde looked away him, obviously being less than truthful. "Look me in the eye and say that." He dared smugly.

"...No." Chloe grimaced as she instinctively looked away from his gaze. "No." She tried once more. "N-O. No! Damnit!" She hissed as each time her own green eyes flickered away from his blue to look elsewhere in the room. "...I don't. Love you... Mh!" She groaned as at the last second her eyes turned away from his.

"Chloe," Clark started once more. "Do you love me?" He asked simply, looking down at her as though a parent scolding their child.

"Yes! Alright, I love you!" She blurted loudly. "But we're just friends, Clark. You're with my cousin, and that's that." She nodded, as though to reaffirm her point.

"I love you, and I _was _with Lois." Clark corrected patiently, smiling slightly as the blonde pouted. "Deal with it."

Chloe hunched and glared up at him. "You can't do that!" She said firmly.

"I just did." Clark replied with the maturity of a six-year-old. "I'll see you later. I'm breaking up with Lois."

"No you're not!" The blonde ex-journalist jerked as the larger males presence, or rather lack thereof, finally permeated. "Damnit." She hissed once more, kicking the thick wooden leg of the desk in frustration. "Damn invasive dumb aliens." She muttered.

* * *

Saturday rolled around and found Chloe pondering on her cousin's new job. She had advised Lois on just focusing on her job as was and the brunette had, as always, completely disregarded her words in favour of appearing on the morning television show. Chloe loved her cousin, really she did, but sometimes she just wanted the older girl to be just a little less stubborn.

"Still preparing for the morning TV show, Lo'?" She asked amusedly as her older cousin compared a thin red dress and classy black. "You'd almost think that you were planning to marry the guy." She grinned slightly as she caught both dresses and put them back on the rack while her cousin searched for something to wear from a pile of clothing next to her.

"Of course. Metropolis is lucky that I'm gracing them with this." The woman gestured to her face. "Not to mention this!" This time she gestured at her body and both cousins snickered at her faux arrogance.

"Seriously though, what about your job at the 'Planet?" She queried with a worried note to her voice. "Aren't you worried about what will happen if you're caught at this?"

"I can use it as assignment opportunity." The brunette waved off casually. "And if all goes well I may not even go back."

Chloe resisted the urge to strangle the woman who was casually playing with what had once been her dream and, unnoticed to the brunette, shook her head in disappointment. "...Alright, so long as you know what you're doing." She relented, dully watching as Lois compared the straps on one dress to another and pasting a smile on her face, swearing to herself that she'd tell her, just... Not yet.

* * *

Sunday came by with not a single change being shown by the older cousin, the woman still intent of her course and not swayed by anything Chloe had to say about it. The only good thing bout it was that she had convinced Clark to hold off on dumping Lois. While he insisted that he was planning on ending the relationship next week after their dates on live TV, his being on Tuesday and hers on Wednesday, she still thought perhaps she could keep them together, even if it did kill her inside to do such.

"Now remember, speak firmly and focus on your lines." She instructed her best friend, adjusting his tie for him. For nearly a week now he had insisted on stopping by everyday; he tried to hide what he was actually doing, saying that he missed her, that he needed advice, that he needed help finding something, but the blonde knew why he was really stopping by; to check on her and, by extension, the baby. She found it sweet but part of her wished that he would be a little less clingy.

"Right." He lifted his lines and started practicing. "Good morning Metropolis." He said firmly, facing the spot on the wall.

"Good, good. Try to be a little louder and more... Severe, but at the same time you've gotta be friendly, think 'Fun dad'." She instructed once more.

He nodded and repeated his lines, a friendlier look on his face and voice slightly heavier than before. "Good morning, Metropolis."

"Great! You've got it down, now just pose, and..." Clark stayed with his gaze focused on the spot, smile held in place. "Done!" She grinned. "And that's a rap. Now, next up..."

As she routed through the box at her feet holding Clark's lines to be rehearsed and former examples of how he should act she didn't notice his smile widened into a grin as he watched her.

Before she knew it Monday had rolled around.


	9. First dates live

**Chapter nine:**

* * *

"Hey!" Chloe greeted Oliver with a smile and a casual wave, raising an eyebrow at the forms in his hand. "Taken care of the whole 'date' issue?" She queried.

"Yeah." Oliver smirked self-assuredly. "That's actually why I'm here."

The shorter blonde of the pair stared at him in confusion, eyes widening when he showed her what was written on the forms in his hand. "No, no, no!" She denied immediately, paling. "Oliver-!"

"Calm down," He waved off her protests. "Way I figure it, you can just keep Clark occupied. I'll distract Lois."

Chloe furrowed her brow at the emerald archer in frustration. "Is this about keeping Lois and Clark together, or something else?" She whispered reservedly.

Oliver's face went blank at her words and he pursed his lips. "Does Clark's wanting to break up with Lois have anything to do with you?"

"Ah," She shook slightly at his insinuation, looking away in shame.

"I thought so." The billionaire narrowed his eyes at her and shook the forms in his hand. "If you and Clark are going to dance around each other like this with Lois none the wiser then I'm going to take a shot."

"Oliver, Clark and Lois practically belong together, it's how it's written in the future, and I'm not even a footnote." She grimaced at his look. "Yes, Clark told me."

His eyes softened at her confession and he shook his head with a chuckle. "I think you severely underestimate the effect that you have on boy scout, if you'd talked to me about this a month ago I wouldn't believe there could even be a spark between you two, but between how he acted when you were taken by Davis and the way he looked yesterday when I mentioned your name, yes," He confirmed at her surprised expression. "I gave him a visit yesterday afternoon to see how things were handling and he told me _everything._" He emphasized, looking down at her stomach.

Chloe paled and collapsed into the embrace of the black leather couch, green eyes wide. "He-!" She let out a half-strangled sob and glared at him. "I told him not to tell anyone."

"Chloe," Oliver drew her attention back to him. "I don't want to let Lois go, and if I've got a chance... I won't mention this..." He gestured inarticulately between her, the Watchtower and her stomach as though to say what he was really thinking without words. "But that's it. I still want to be with her. And nothing is written in stone. _Nothing_."

The ex-reporter sighed as she slouched into the seat. "Boy, You guys really aren't making this easy for me, are you?" She spoke rhetorically, rubbing her forehead with her hand. "...I understand, Ollie." His eyes brightened with hope. "But I just hope none of us end up regretting this in the future."

"_I _won't." Oliver said firmly, standing straight. "And to be quite honest, I _highly_ doubt Clark will, either."

"So..." She seemed to deflate in resignation as she held out one of her hands. "What's the gist of the forms?"

Oliver gained a serious air to him that came about when in business and handed her one of the papers. "Basically you sign on the dotted line, it joins you to this dating website; I've already got your information filled out," He cut across when she opened her mouth to speak. "Then I bribe their respective dates to let you and I take their places. Yours has already opted out to give you a shot, great girl by the way; humanitarian, charity work, orphans and such, basically blonde mother Teresa in her late twenties. I told her how you've known him since high school and you've been dancing around each other and she took it as a star-crossed romance. Cute, too." He smirked.

"Okay; but if Lois turns you down take it at that, alright?" She half-pleaded half-demanded.

He nodded as he watched her peruse the form with careful eyes, looking over the fine-print with all of her focus. "Right. If you just sign that I'll get a copy back to you and then we can see about going on and meeting with our significant others." She looked up at him sternly at his choice of words but nonetheless grabbed her pen off the table and wrote her signature.

Oliver glanced over her shoulder and noted the puzzle on the table. "...17 across is "Cabana"." he input helpfully from his place behind her.

Chloe coughed slightly as she handed back the form. "Got much experience with these?" She said with mild humour as she noticed his attention on the women's magazine.

"I'm interested in some of the stories, and the puzzles aren't bad." He said proudly, jutting out his chin in defiance. "Problem?"

"No, no." She bit her lip. "You have a nice day, Ollie. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Actually, I'll see you tomorrow; you're first." The petite blonde abruptly straightened, stunned at his words. "It's in the contract. Didn't you see it?"

She shook her head and he raised an index finger in the air as though something had just occurred to him. "Ah, that's probably because it's on a different page. Here," He handed her another form with a devious grin. "Have fun."

She looked up at his quickly retreating form with a flabbergasted expression. "Wha- You- Get back here!" She roared, chasing the larger blonde with clenched fists.

* * *

It took the young blonde about ten minutes to read the full terms and conditions and thankfully she hadn't been duped too badly other than going on the show a day earlier, something that absolutely terrified her either way.

She didn't know what the hell she was doing, going on a date with Clark and letting Oliver try for Lois once more. She was tired of denying everything she wanted, if everyone and everything seemed determined to throw her bones and push her and Clark into each other's orbit then she was going to go for it; god knows that the universe owed her one after everything it'd put her through, she just hoped that it didn't end in heartbreak like it usually did.

The blonde was just thankful that she wasn't really showing yet, or it could've gotten awkward; as is she had a dress ready, and make-up fully stocked. The only problem she had was what the hell was she going to say to Clark? Or Lois for that matter?

She didn't have a clue how she'd justify this past 'I saw him first'; but regardless she was going to do it.

Chloe wasn't even sure how she managed to sleep past complete and utter shock dulling her reaction. The fact that she was going on live television on a date with her best friend and the father of her unborn child was still trying to penetrate her brain; though it wasn't entirely an unpleasant idea, she just wished that it wasn't on _live television_.

The blonde hesitated as she spotted him, seated outside the peaceful cafe with an awkward look on his face; the Kryptonian looked so confused that she had to resist the urge to go over and start baby-talking him. (Though perhaps his reaction would be worth it.) "Hey."

Clark jolted when he heard her voice and turned to look up at her. "What are you doing here?" He asked, startled. The Kryptonian winced and rubbed his ear as he asked the question.

"What do you think I'm doing here?" She asked with a smile pasted on her face, trying not to feel to out of place. "I'm your date." She clarified at his lack of reaction.

His eyes widened and then he quickly stood, lips quirking into a wide grin. "Wha- Well, here." Clark pulled out one of the metal seats for her, standing behind it like a gentleman. "Why don't you take a seat?"

"Thanks." She said, swallowing her apprehension and carefully taking a seat. "I'll take it from here, 'Farmboy'." She joked, referring to his profile.

He grinned abashedly, reminding her of the boy she'd first met in 8th grade all those years ago and sat back down, crossing his arms and leaning forward onto the table. "So, how'd this... Happen? I can't believe it was just coincidence." He said with a smile, wincing once more and scratching his ear.

"Thought you'd probably attract a cougar." She chuckled, brushing her hair back from her face. "Though I'm not surprised you chose to be completely honest about yourself."

"Ah." He shifted nervously, rubbing his neck as he struggled to speak. "So... Does this mean we're... That you...?" He trailed off, not wanting to continue.

This time it was her turn to shift slightly as she looked at the cameras focused on them. "...Maybe." She smiled and turned, anxiety written across her face. "I'll tell you later." She promised.

His eyes lit up and he nodded vigorously. "Right, so..." He jerked and held his ears, as though in pain.

"You okay?" Chloe asked concernedly, pursing her lips in worry.

He sat up straighter and nodded. "I'm fine. So..." He furrowed his eyebrows as though thinking deeply. "What do you... Do for a living?" He asked her oddly, faking curiosity.

Chloe stared at him for a brief moment, perplexed, but quickly realized he was pretending not to know her well so-as to ensure a good date/interview. "Well, I mostly work in IT, computer support, helping major companies and such." She shrugged. "Not much to tell."

"IT huh?" There was something in his eyes as he spoke, as though thinking. "Ever thought about... Getting out, seeing new places perhaps?"

She stared at him for a moment, glimpsing... _Something_ in his eyes, though she couldn't tell what. "...Sometimes, I think it'd be interesting." She played along.

"Well, you know... Journalism's something quite 'out and about'." She froze, feeling numb for a brief moment. "Meet interesting people, see interesting places. Have you ever thought about it?" 'Since _him'_ went unspoken.

"I- I-" She gulped and searched for another topic. "So, have you-" She raced for a topic to change the subject. "-been with any interesting women in the past?" She mentally cursed herself, knowing that she couldn't possibly have sounded more obsessive.

"Actually, there's this girl I've been thinking about recently, we've known each other for years now, and..." He trailed off meaningfully, leaving her to fill in the blanks.

"...Ah." Damnit, he wasn't making this easy.


	10. Confessions between cousins

Disclaimer: I do not own Smallville. (Note that Pandora happens earlier in this story, though Zod does not yet know about Clark.)

**Chapter ten:**

* * *

Chloe shucked off her coat, hanging it next to the door and huffing as she pondered on her relationship with Clark. Despite her earlier reluctance to upset her cousin she wasn't entirely sure whether or not she could find it within herself to bother about her feelings anymore; The blonde had told her older cousin that she loved Clark a long time ago and the brunette had completely ignored both that and her feelings in regard to her career, stepping on both her feelings and her dreams without a thought for how that would hurt her.

Looking up and spotting Clark, clad in blue jeans and a white shirt with crossed arms and a small smile on his face, Chloe couldn't tell if it was good or bad that she could so easily shirk her cousin's feelings like that; at this point all she knew was that she was going to focus on the here and now as opposed to the past or future. She'd see where things went from here. "Hey." She spoke softly.

"Hi." The Kryptonian returned, uncrossing his arms and stepping over to her. "So, have you thought about what I said yesterday?" He queried, looking her in the eye.

Chloe sighed and looked away. "Clark... I know you mean well, really I do; but so long as Tess is in control of the Daily Planet I'm not going to be working there. Luthor or no, she'll run the place into the ground."

"That's a possibility." He confessed, tilting his head in acquiescence to her point. "But reporting was always your dream Chloe, and I've noticed how shut in you are at the Watchtower. You only go out to meet with the league and Lois; it's not healthy." He furrowed his brow in concern. "I'm worried about you."

She felt a flutter go through her at his confession but shook it off and looked up at him with narrowed eyes. "Before you knew I was having the baby you didn't care a bit about me getting out." She said pointedly.

"I cared." He argued, frowning. "I was just more focused on embracing my Kryptonian side at that point."

"Then what's different now, other than this," She gestured at her stomach. "I get that you 'love' me," Though she still sounded a little disbelieving of this. "And I get that you want this baby with me, but why are you being so different?"

"Chloe..." Clark sighed and shook his head. "I blamed my human side for Jimmy's death, if I hadn't been so weak then he'd still be alive. But my father was human, and he raised me as a human. I've wanted a child for years, but I didn't think I could ever have one, so I didn't think I could have any human ties, but lately..." He looked away at this. "Lately I've realized that I may have been born on Krypton, but I was raised by humans, and like Kryptonians not all are good or bad; everyone's an individual, and I want to raise our child, as an individual, with you."

"So what's my career and getting out got to do with that?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Clark looked back at her and smiled. "When you were younger you always wanted to work at the 'Planet, it was your dream. You didn't care who you worked for, just that you worked there. I hadn't realized how big a part of you it was until lately. You've been shutting everyone out and keeping everything to yourself; and I don't like it. I want us to share everything with each other."

Chloe blushed under his gaze and licked her suddenly dry lips, replaying his words in her mind. "...I'll think about it." She relented, grimacing. "But I'm not doing it for you!" She said quickly at his beaming smile. "Like you said, it's been my dream to work at the DP."

"Right." He agreed amusedly. "That's all I ask. So, can I tell Lois?" He queried.

The blonde bit her lip and sat down. "Actually, I think that I should talk to her, she deserves that much."

"Alright, if you're sure." Clark agreed, concern written across his face. "But if you change your mind..." He trailed off, meeting her green eyes with his own blue.

"I'm sure." She nodded firmly, features showing her determination. "I'll meet her this afternoon. I've already called her; so you need to go."

"Okay, I'll talk to you tomorrow." He promised, stepping out the door.

* * *

Three o'clock found the blonde stepping into the hospital, anxiously walking towards the receptionist. "Hello, I'm here to see Lois Lane?" She asked more than said, as though looking for an excuse to walk away.

"Friend or family?" The woman asked curtly, pulling up the brunette's file.

"Family, she's my cousin." Chloe replied, thanking the receptionist when she gave her Lois' room number and directions.

"Lo'?" She asked as she stepped through the door, stopping when she saw her older cousin lying in the hospital bed, clad in a hospital gown. Earlier in the day she and Oliver had been caught unaware by a group of thugs and been held at gunpoint. One of the thugs had shot at her and Oliver, hitting her in the leg and the billionaire in the torso.

Thankfully the other blonde had survived, the bullet managing to avoid his major organs and the best doctors around patching up his wounds in no time flat, however her cousin was being held while they got an x-ray to ensure her leg wasn't too damaged. "Hey cuz." The other woman greeted breezily, her injuries ignored like water off a duck's back. "The docs say I could go yet?" She asked briskly, raising an eyebrow.

The blonde chuckled weakly and shook her head. "No, they just want to make sure there isn't any lasting damage. I'm sure you'll be out in no time." She comforted. "Listen, Lois. I need to talk to you about something." She started hesitantly.

"What?" The reporter asked flatly. "Is this about you and Clark?"

Chloe stiffened at her words. "...Yes. We're... How long have you...?"

"How long?" The other woman repeated, humourless. "I saw the looks you two gave each other yesterday, on your 'blind date'. How long have you two been...?" She stopped, as though hesitant to confirm her suspicions.

"We got together months ago, and then Clark started wanting more over the past few weeks; he wouldn't let up, so I started to... come around. I thought about your feeling, really I did." She insisted at the other woman's dubious look. "But Clark can be... Persuasive."

The two were silent for a moment, before the brunette finally voiced her thought aloud. "Why, after so long, after all that we've been through, did he start trying for you?" She asked bitterly, though with surprisingly less anger than she would have thought. "Can you tell me that, Chloe?"

The blonde paused, unsure whether to tell the truth. "Lois... I'm pregnant, and Clark..."

She trailed off into silence, however the other woman, with eyes wide, finished her sentence for her. "It's Clark's baby?" She whispered, stunned.

Chloe looked away guiltily, eyes downcast. "Yes."

"When did you and he...?" She swallowed, trying to keep calm.

The younger cousin bit her lip and looked back up at Lois, shamefaced. "Nearly four months. I'll probably start showing soon."

"Oh Chloe." The other woman sighed in disappointment. "You make it so hard to stay mad at you." She said, rolling her eyes. "It's true that I 'like' Clark, but you and him have been dancing around each other for years. Maybe it's better this way." She admitted. "I'm not saying that I'm not angry." She cut across the younger girl's hopeful look. "But... I'll get over it. Besides which, I'm a fox, any guy would be lucky to get me." She bragged, channeling her younger self's overconfidence with a playful smirk.

"I'm so sorry, Lois." Chloe said with a guilt-ridden frown. "I didn't mean for things to-" "Hey," The other woman cut across with a soft smile. "You're my family, Chlo'. Family comes first, alright. I'm not going to get all emotional over a guy. It's Clark's loss; though I'm sure he thinks differently." She grinned.

The blonde teared up, smiling gratefully. "Thanks, Lois."

"No prob. Besides which, I'm gonna be an aunt, that's pretty awesome in and of itself."


	11. Past generations

Disclaimer: I do not own Smallville.

**Chapter eleven:**

* * *

Chloe left the hospital with a small smile on her face. It had been a long time since she and Lois had talked about anything other than the Daily Planet and Clark, and now that Chloe had told her older cousin about the baby and her and Clark's relationship the other woman had focused on her new topic of interest; the baby.

She had been surprised that Lois was so ecstatic at the news, but nonetheless happy at the reaction she had received. No matter how far apart she and her cousin grew, she never wanted to hurt the taller woman, and she hoped that the same could also be said on her behalf.

While she still felt guilty at the effect that she had had on Lois' relationship with Clark and knew that the brunette was still a little broken up over how abruptly her and Clark's budding romance had ended she also knew that, great as Lois was, she would inevitably find someone new and just as good for her as Clark had been; her days of fooling around on the military base with handsome soldiers just to spite her father were long over.

She started as, in her moment of distraction she bumped into a thin, dark-haired suit-clad man. "Oh, I'm sorry!" She reached down to pick up the bouquet of flowers and the small pin that he had dropped, raising an eyebrow at the symbol engraved onto the surface.

"That's quite alright. I should have been watching where I was going myself." The man smiled, though the expression didn't quite reach his eyes, he evidently noticed her interest in the pin. "A trinket I picked up at the gift store. I notice that you just came from Lois Lane's room; do you know her?" He queried politely, taking back the flowers and pin.

"She's my cousin..." She replied slightly confusedly. Her cousin had never mentioned this stranger before, and if she knew him she most definitely would have; he was handsome in a dark, mysterious way and practically oozed charisma and confidence, not to mention the Kryptonian symbol. He didn't seem the kind of person to buy or give something without meaning. "Mr...?" She trailed off expectantly, raising an eyebrow.

"Dru. I'm sorry, I should make a move, I'm in a hurry." He apologized, moving around her. "Just out of curiosity," He started, turning to regard her once more. "Would you happen to know a Kent family?"

The look in his eyes sent a shiver down her spine, and not in a good way. "I'm familiar with them." She responded neutrally. "Why, are you a friend of theirs?"

"Dru"'s smile seemed to grow, in both size and coldness. "We go way back. If you happen to see them before I do, say hello, would you?"

"Okay." She nodded, watching him as he walked to her cousin's room. Something about "Dru" seemed off. Majorly off.

Chloe turned once more and bumped into another person, though this one a more familiar person. "Chloe, thank god. How are you?" He grasped her shoulders, concern shining in his deep-blue orbs. "Did he do anything?"

"Who?" She asked, backing away slightly from the bizarre behaviour he was displaying.

"Zod."

She froze as she immediately was able to place the name with a face. "Oh hell. The guy in the suit?" Clark's concern grew, alarm entering his features. "No, but Clark he's in there with Lois!"

Clark's eyes widened and he looked over at the room she was indicating. "Chloe, get to the Watchtower and locate the other Kandorians, I'll..." He trailed off as Zod exited Lois' room, sans the flowers he'd entered with and, she suspected, the Kryptonian pin.

Zod stopped before them and regarded the two of them, interest apparent in his eyes. "Well now, you'd be... Clark?" He said more than asked. "You look a lot like your father."

Clark glared at the megalomaniac, tensing. "What did you do to Lois?" He growled threateningly.

"And evidently you've also inherited his temper." Zod continued, unheeding of his words. "I've done nothing to her. I was actually looking for you when I heard about... Lois' accident." He rolled the name around in his mouth as though it were a particularly tasty treat. "And thought I should wish her well." He finished innocently, his words belying the shark-like gleam in his eyes.

Clark grimaced, unsure how to respond to the obviously false words without calling Zod out in public. "Thanks." He said bitterly after a moment's pause, still glaring though his eyes seemed to be gaining a minor burnished orange tint.

"It was no problem." Zod waved off, though his posture now seemed less predatory and more wary, he seemed to realize just what Clark could do if pushed too far. "Take care... Kal-El."

The Kryptonian and his best friend watched the sociopath walk away, steps measured and yet tense with preparation. "Clark, check on Lois." Chloe nudged him on.

"Chloe, I need to follow him, see what, exactly, he's up to." He followed the other man even after he turned a corner and vanished out of her line of sight. He quickly turned and stared straight through the wall into Lois' room. "She's fine." He said briskly.

"But-" Chloe stopped and looked between her cousin's room and Zod's last location. "Fine, just go!"

"Thanks." Clark smiled shortly, leaning down to kiss her on the forehead and then disappearing in a faint blur.

* * *

Chloe hadn't expected Clark to get back to her so quickly, yet not twenty minutes later found her jumping as her cell phone rang. She pulled the mobile from her purse and raised an eyebrow as she saw he was calling from the farm. "Hey," She greeted. "Calling kinda soon, aren't you?" She paused and waited for a response from the other end, growing slightly concerned when she didn't hear a response after thirty seconds. "Clark?"

_"Need... Help... Hiram Kent... Girl?"_

Her eyes flashed as she heard the unknown yet surprisingly familiar voice, unable to place the owner yet knowing she knew them. "Who is this?" She asked cautiously.

_"Jor... El." _*CLICK* For a brief moment her heart stopped.


End file.
